The Valley on ESPN vs. Missouri State (subscription required) | Live Stats vs. Missouri State | Loyola Game Notes vs. Missouri State

The Valley on ESPN vs. Southern Illinois (subscription required) | Live Stats vs. Southern Illinois | Loyola Game Notes vs. Southern Illinois

CHICAGO (January 16, 2019) - Coming off back-to-back wins on its home floor, Loyola University Chicago ventures back out on the road this coming weekend for a pair of challenging tests.

A date with co-MVC leader Missouri State opens the two-game swing at 7 p.m on Friday evening inside JQH Arena.  The Ramblers will then head east to Carbondale, Ill. for a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee against Southern Illinois at the SIU Arena.
 

LAST TIME OUT
Loyola opened up a 15-point lead in the third quarter before withstanding a furious Indiana State rally, defeating the Sycamores by a final score fo 56-54 on Sunday afternoon in Rogers Park. Abby O'Connor led the way with 18 points, going a perfect 6-for-6 at the free throw line in the game's final minute to help seal the victory.  Janae Gonzales (13 points) and Allison Day (10 points) also reached double figures in scoring as Loyola held Indiana State to just 34.5% (19-of-55) shooting from the field.
 

LOYOLA – MISSOURI STATE – THE SERIES
Loyola and Missouri State will meet for the 13th time this evening as part of an all-time series in which the Lady Bears hold a 12-4 (.750) advantage.  Missouri State is an impressive 9-1 (.900) against Loyola since the two institutions became conference rivals in 2013-14.  The lone Rambler victory in that stretch came back on January 12, 2014 as Loyola picked up a 63-61 win at Gentile Arena.  In the meeting between the two teams last season in Springfield on January 21, 2018, Liza Fruendt scored 29 points as the Lady Bears held Loyola to just 22 percent shooting from the field en route to a 75-36 triumph.  Ellie Rice finished with 10 points in the defeat, while Kat Nolan added seven points and collected seven rebounds.

LOYOLA – SOUTHERN ILLINOIS – THE SERIES
Sunday's weekend finale marks the 16th meeting between Loyola and Southern Illinois.  Southern Illinois holds a slim 8-7 (.533) edge in the previous 15 encounters, having won four of the last five meetings and three of the last four in Carbondale.  The Ramblers snapped a four-game skid to the Salukis back on February 18, 2018, with Jessica Cerda scoring a game-high 19 points to pace a trio in double figures as Loyola picked up a 62-53 win.  When the two teams last met at the SIU Arena (January 19, 2018), Southern Illinois forced 26 Loyola turnovers en route to a 62-46 victory.
 

DON'T SLEEP ON THESE BEARS
Missouri State, which holds an identical 9-7 overall record to that of Loyola's, enters the weekend as the hottest team in The Valley, having won eight straight games dating back to an 82-70 victory over Louisiana Tech back on December 20, 2018.  The Lady Bears are a perfect 5-0 in MVC play, with an average margin of victory of 14.8 points.

Head coach Kellie Harper is now in her sixth year guiding Missouri State. Harper boasts a sparkling 67-28 record in MVC contests, highlighted by a 59-18 ledger over the past four-plus seasons.

Guard Danielle Gitzen leads the attack for Harper's crew, averaging a team-high 12.9 points and 3.5 assists.  Hot on her heels is Preseason All-MVC pick Alexa Williard, who adds 12.1 ppg.  Freshman Jasmine Franklin, who has twice been named the league's Newcomer of the Week, has made an immediate impact, chipping in 9.8 points and team-high marks in both rebounds (7.3 rpg) and blocked shots (1.3 bpg).
 

ATTACK DOGS
Southern Illinois has dropped its last four games to slide back down to the .500 mark at 8-8 overall.  The Salukis, who host Valparaiso on Friday night, enter the weekend sitting eighth in The Valley standings at 1-4. 

Under the direction of head coach Cindy Stein, now in her sixth season in charge in Carbondale, Southern Illinois dropped a 60-52 decision to Illinois State last Friday before falling in overtime, 58-53, at Bradley two days later.

Nicole Martin, a First Team All-MVC selection last season, finds herself in the midst of an impressive junior campaign.  Martin leads the Salukis in scoring, chipping in 15.3 ppg, and has upped that mark to 17.8 ppg since the start of Valley play.  Mackenzie Silvey (14.5 ppg) and Abby Brockmeyer (10.9 ppg) are also threats on the offensive end, with Brockmeyer leading the team in rebounding (8.5 rpg) and blocked shots (1.1 bpg). 

UP NEXT
The Maroon & Gold return home next weekend to wrap up the first half of their Valley slate against Illinois State (February 1) and Bradley (February 3) at Gentile Arena. Next Sunday's matchup against the Braves will serve as the program's annual "Alumni Day". More information on the event can be found here.